Recently, the special has found its way on to both DVD and VCD format. In the case of the DVD editions, the two editions we have seen have been acceptable without being outstanding. It is the VCD format release that has impressed.

If and until Elvis Presley Enterprises decides to officially release the special I suspect it will be hard to better the audio and video quality offered by the VCD copy we received.

The audio is clear and while it won't test your sub-woofer, it gives you Elvis, Elvis and more Elvis. The video element is not perfect but certainly of clearer and sharper quality than any video or DVD editions I've seen in the past year. The colors are good with only minimal murkiness, virescence and color bleed - problems exhibited by most video editions of the special.

Elvis In Concert is a challenging special to watch. Showing Elvis shortly before his death it is obvious The King is far from well and there is a deep sadness in his eyes, despite that famous smile. The pudginess of his face and his substantial girth is a long way from the panther like sleekness exhibited in Elvis That's The Way It Is.

For many fans it is a visceral, emotionally churning experience to sit through what was Elvis' last broadcast performance. Despite the emotional rollercoaster epitomised by the special, for obvious reasons it is a historic concert and there are many highlights.

For me it is hard to surpass Elvis' sublime, almost gut-wrenching rendition of How Great Thou Art. His emotional passion is both aural and visible as his face symbolically searches toward the heavens. A stunning track!

Similarly, while we now know Elvis couldn't reach many of the high notes by 1977, and clever blending of backing voices gave the appearance it was The King, this takes nothing away from a truly heartfelt version of Hurt that seems to seep through each and every one of the pores on Elvis' skin. Fast versions of Teddy Bear and Don't Be Cruel pay homage to the halcyon days of Presleymania in the 50s, while country fans are treated to the slow and underrated I Really Don't Want To Know.

Those wanting more contemporary offerings are not disappointed with Fairytale, And I Love Her So and the evergreen, Unchained Melody. Other favorites include It's Now or Never, Early Morning Rain, Little Sister, a short rendition of What'd I Say and one of the songs you had to have in an Elvis concert, Hound Dog.

OK, on some songs Elvis rushes the lyrics and seems only half-engaged, but overall the stark visual image of a tired, distressed man who could still entrance his audience with some amazingly impressive vocal performances, makes Elvis In Concert a potent piece of musical history. Its ability to evoke contradictory feelings of sadness and joy and of wonderment says it all.

The footage of fan comments, spliced before or into certain songs, is at times frustrating (after all what we really want is simply Elvis), but in hindsight it offers an audio-visual record of how he continued to impact his fans even when far from his prime and in obvious ill-health.